I have a friend of mine who has retired to The Philippines. Are there any Support Groups for British Retirees there?

I only know of the Cebu Brit club group which is found on the Yahoo Groups.

There are some isolated groups of expats that get together, I am aware of one in Tagaytay that meets regularly. It means doing some leg work and asking around I'm afraid.
I have met chaps through the Cebu Brit club, despite its name many members are spread around the Philippines.

Salamat, I will follow up.

It takes a lot of courage to leave the UK and retire in the warm and economical climate of the Philippines. In my case I made the Philippines a holiday destination for a few years and then made the decision to retire here.
There are of course dangers and pitfalls like most things.
Any support given here either physically or emotionally will need to be financed and it will be available.
It would be interesting to learn of the support needs in your case to offer some answers.

Many thanks for the Post. I am doing the same as yourself. I have been a frequent visitor to The Philippines for the last six or seven years, both for Business and for Pleasure. Presently, I am in the final stages of the transition, looking to move there permanently from the middle of next year.

I have a near neighbour in Antipolo, who is rather elderly; and has not been enjoying the best of health. He has been in The Philippines for approximately five years, and is married to a Filipina. From what he tells me, there are lots of 'Family Pressures' (Mainly Financial). He just needs to be able to talk to other Retirees and/or Expats, and to get out of the house for a few hours, a couple of times each week.

Although now 80, he is as 'Sharp as a Needle,' and physically active. He helped me with a few DIY Jobs around the house when I was last there, at Easter. He just needs someone to talk to. He seems to have got his head around 'Survival Tagalog,' but his wife's family are from Pampanga, and speak only their own Pampango Dialect.

I was wondering if there were any Volunteer Groups or Associations? When I spoke to him last, he was thinking of starting his own; which would operate on a 'Self-Help' Volunteer Basis; probably meeting twice each week, using Members' homes (by rotation) as a venue.

This is very similar to a Local Association my parents belong to, back in the UK, which has now embarked upon regular Trips and Travel. My parents are of a similar age, and it has given them something to be involved with, outside of the normal day-to-day routine.

80 years old and still very active, well that speaks for itself for retirement in the Philippines. On another forum I read that a UK guy of 85 ate a banana sandwich every morning and was painting his bungalow himself!

I think the DIY support group idea is great and will work if the people involved put there hearts into it. We've met all sorts of different types of people and some are social some are not. In some cases its the wives who don't get on together and are from different background. I know a wealthy ex taxi driver not far away who drives to a ex pat group in Tagaytay for a few drinks simply for a chat otherwise he said "I'd go mad". We went there but sadly didn't meet anyone like us to make friends with. I did meet an interesting ex English teacher who had similar interests to me but he smoked pot and was punching his current girlfriend who phones us when she had problems

We sold our beach house to a French guy with Filipino wife and her 2 delightful children who were "escaping" from her family's financilal demands. They were in Pampanga.

To start a group your friend will need to put feelers out through forums here and gain some members, maybe the Brit Emb will supply the wardens net person for the area and through him you can obtain UK chaps in the area.

This socializing is a tricky event and one couple we met where us chaps got on well but my wife sat on her own and was ignored by the other wife.
I suppose its the background that effects things, my wife is an ex maid, humble and quite religious but has a beautiful voice on the odd Kareoke session

We know a couple in San Pablo where my wife is very friendly with the wife who she knows from school days. The lady married a Cuban chap in America (interesting character) returned to San Pablo and built a large house in a gated subdivision and had NO VISITORS from her old friends in small houses. I think this is down to Envy. So she is disappointed and keeps on inviting them hoping for a change of heart

Horses for courses as they say.

Maraming Maraming Salamat for that! - I will let you know how things go!

I would say choose your friends carefully. It can be surprisingly hard to make good expat friends once you get away from a bar.

Sadly, I have to report that my friend Gavin in Manila died at 04:00 this morning, after a short illness. He had just turned 81. This makes me more determined to begin a Support Group, as his wife is having to cope with all of the arrangements at the moment.

So sorry to hear that. Life is very cruel sometimes. All the best with your Support Group. Sounds like a great idea. We all get old eventually don't we.

Just retired to the philipphines 66 worked all over the world so not into moaning pom im english live on edge of Makati/taguig surely we can get a Manila expat group going ,just a coffee or a beer once a week at first. Sharing of info is priceless and the chat is good tonic to health